







In English we use the present simple tense to talk about facts or things that are always true, as well as things in general. Present simple is also used to talk about a repeated action such as a habit, a hobby, a daily event, a scheduled event or something that often happens.
In English we use 'do' and 'does' as auxiliary verbs in negatives and questions and we often use the present simple with adverbs of frequency such as sometimes, always, often, never, usually, rarely, and hardly ever.
Notes for use of present simple :
In the third person, ‘s’ is added to the verb form. For example;
work --> works
run --> runs
live --> lives
For verbs that end in 'o', 'sh', 'ch', 's' and 'x', we add 'es' to the verb form. For example;
go --> goes
wish --> wishes
watch --> watches
kiss --> kisses
fax --> faxes
For verbs that end in a consonant + 'y', we change the 'y' to 'i' and add 'es'. For example;
try --> tries
study --> studies
The table below shows the different forms of present simple :
Example Verb : Work | I / You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | ... work. | ... works. |
| Negative | ... don't work. | ... doesn't work. |
Questions | Do ... work? | Does ... work? |
| Short answers | Yes, ... do. / No, ... don't. | Yes, ... does. / No, ... doesn't. |
For the verb 'to be' we use 'am', 'is', 'are' in the present simple. No auxiliary verbs are used in negative sentences and questions.
Verb: Be | I | You / We / They | He / She / It |
| Positive | I'm ... | ... 're ... | ... 's ... |
| Negative | I'm not ... | ... aren't ... | ... isn't ... |
| Questions | Am I ... ? | Are ... ...? | Is ... ...? |
| Short answers | Yes, I am. / No, I'm not. | Yes, ... are. / No, ... aren't. | Yes, ... is. / No, ... isn't. |
Present Simple Example Sentences :
Positive Examples of Present Simple :
Negative Examples of Present Simple :
Question Examples of Present Simple :
| Present simple example sentences | |
|---|---|
| So I want to cook as much as I can now. | Así que quiero cocinar todo lo que pueda ahora. |
| I searched: does Pinocchio know he is not a real boy. | Busqué: sabe Pinocho que él no es un niño real. |
| I'm a bit paranoid about it. | Soy un poco paranoica con ello. |
| Hey, before you go... | Hey, antes de que te vayas... |
| As far as I know, Chows are not good with other animals. | Por lo que sé, los Chows no se llevan bien con otros animales. |
| How much rice do you need? | ¿Cuánto arroz necesitas? |
| Excuse me ma'am, here is an undamaged packet of rice for you. | Perdone señora, aquí tiene un paquete de arroz sin daños. |
| Erm, I can't work it out, I guess it's more than 150 years old. | Eh, no puedo resolverlo, supongo que tiene más de 150 años. |
| I have no idea... But I hope they have a good excuse! | No tengo idea... ¡Pero espero que tenga una buena excusa! |
| Okay, it seems they have no aggression towards each other. | Vale, parece que no hay agresividad entre ellos. |
| Is it because the other tenants don't want pets? | ¿Es porque los otros inquilinos no quieren mascotas? |
| Why don't we pay 100 more each, and get a house in Mayfair? | ¿Por qué no pagamos 100 más cada uno, y conseguimos una casa en Mayfair? |
| Hmm, I like pop, rock, funk. | Hmm, me gusta el pop, el rock, el funk. |
| This is the last one and, unfortunately, it has a hole in it. | Es el último y desafortunadamente tiene un agujero. |
| Oh, sorry! You don't like cleaning things, I can do it. | ¡Oh, perdona! No te gusta limpiar cosas, puedo hacerlo yo. |
| You know, she is normally an extremely quiet and calm person. | Tú sabes, ella normalmente es una persona extremadamente tranquila y calmada. |
| There is a little market near the school. | Hay un pequeño mercado cerca de la escuela. |
| By the way, the deposit is £3,000 and non-negotiable... | Por cierto, el depósito es de £3,000 y no es negociable... |
| 5 bedroom detached house on Lyme Street, £2,800, is that right? | Casa independiente de 5 habitaciones en calle Lyme, £2800, ¿es correcto? |
| But Tesco is bigger, it has more variety of products. | Pero Tesco es más grande, tiene más variedad de productos. |